Honk the horn: 20% of millennials break up due to backseat driving

There are countless reasons out there for break-ups; infidelity, long distances, baby plans versus no baby plans etc. To each their own.

However, the latest research on break-ups among the age group of 23-year-olds to 30-year-olds has taken us majorly by surprise, but then again we've had a fair few arguments in the car.

According to recent data published by Ford, 20 percent of millennials admit to breaking up with their significant other because they were a backseat driver. 

Many splits are a result of borderline ridiculous reasons, such as strange habits or annoying idiosyncrasies. We've dumped ex's for chewing loudly, for example, and regret nothing. 

Driving with a passenger who holds the seat dramatically whenever you move the car, who gasps at every turn and who disagrees with the route you've chosen to take can be incredibly frustrating.

Do they suck in their breath whenever you press the accelerator? Do they offer incessant criticism? Do they make you feel like an incompetent driver who should have to hand in your licence?

Yep, we know the type. They basically make you want to kick them out of the car while it's still moving.

Apparently other people disagree, and even use backseat driving as an excuse to dump their boyfriend or girlfriend.

"While backseat driving can be a very unattractive behaviour, it's most likely that backseat driving was really just an example that in the relationship, this person may be aggressive, obtrusive, disrespectful, or selfish," Jess Carbino, PhD, Bumble's relationship expert sociologist, tells Cosmopolitan.

Does this mean that our passenger behaviour and our driving attitude reflects our personalities? We drive like a demented soccer mum, so this isn't good news for us.

Tone is a major aspect of the bickering and nagging of a backseat driver argument. Try not to throw shade at anyone's driving skills unless your life is actually endangered, or if somebody else's vehicle is about to get damaged. 

Assigning blame is never a good idea in scenarios like this, use neutral comments to keep the situation, and the driver, calm. Whether you have L plates, N plates or no plates at all, we can be sensitive about our driving abilities.

Have a post-car ride deep meaningful conversation so you can break down what went wrong instead of becoming silently sullen and passive-aggressive. We've all been guilty of it since ditching the L plates.

Make sure to explain that you are frustrated with their comments, or unhelpful directions. Ask for constructive criticism, or help with the route itself. Try not to curse, even though it may be near impossible to resist.

"Don't let what happened in the car influence the opinion or feelings you have for this person outside of the car," says Carbino, from Bumble.

Leave it in the car or it could damage your love permanently. Unless they're the type that keeps chanting, "Are we there yet?" over and over again. Then you should just end things before it's too late.